The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Woody Guthrie
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- Опубліковано 4 лют 2025
- Mainstream music today often doesn’t include folk music. But before great folk artists like Bob Dylan and Ramblin Jack Elliot popularized the genre to mainstream audiences, there was Woody Guthrie. He is still considered to be one of the most influential and significant figures in American folk music. Great songwriters like Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, and Pete Seeger have all acknowledged Guthrie as a major influence in their work. Guthrie's music and work have not only inspired several generations musically, but also politically. Guthrie lived a hard life, and that hard life during the Great Depression highly influenced his music. Here are the tragic details.
#WoodyGuthrie #Musician #Music
Father was in the KKK | 0:00
Became self-sufficient | 1:31
Career and politics at odds | 2:45
Fought fascists with music | 3:59
FBI kept files on him | 5:23
Lost work for his politics | 6:36
Declining health and marriage | 8:03
Third marriage was brief | 8:50
Complicated relationships with his children | 9:50
Suffered in his final years | 10:46
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What is Woody Guthrie's best song?
@Hangman's Daughter That's ARLO Guthrie's song.
@Hangman's Daughter No need to be embarrased. I don't think ppl should be persecuted for honest mistakes. 💗
Tear The Fascists Down or This Land is Your Land :))
This land is our land, take it with a grain of salt because Im american lol.
Jolly Banker
Lost my husband to Huntington's Disease, the disease Woody died of. We lost ALL six of his siblings, his mother, multiple aunts and uncles and now have 2 nephews battling the disease. Because of HD, we didn't have children which devastated my husband even more than me. It would be so wonderful to see an effective treatment in my lifetime--a cure would be great but I'd be very happy even with just an effective treatment so we could lessen victims' suffering. I recently finished participating in a medical study that will hopefully provide some help eventually treating Huntington's Disease. Thank God that there is at least research going on and researchers are trying to help!
Woodys second wife Majorie Mazia started the Committee to Combat Huntington Disease and its quite huge now.
@@1canyonguy I'm familiar with that and with his wife's story. She has done allot to help people and families with HD, thankfully. She must be/have been a good woman. 💝
My husband has Huntington’s…
I'm not long 30 and at risk myself.
This disease has killed my grandmother and my mum who's 52 can not speak.
I am terrified of what the future holds.
Woody is an inspiration
In today's society,
His voice should be out on the Radio.
Thinking out loud is what we all need to do.
Yeah but the general public subconsciously sits back and waits for others to say hey.. this individual is actually saying something that matters. It’s unfortunate and reminds me of the bystander effect.
A profoundly Epic artist and human being
I remember singing "This Land is Your Land" in elementary school. Never knew about the author till much later .
Check out the song our planet
Did you sing the entire song?
@@dougtond1380 😆
@@dougtond1380 no , just a verse or two .
@@ronnietarnacke5153 pretty crazy, isn't it? If it weren't for elementary school, I'd have never learned that song until probably my mid-late 20s... But they hid the most important parts of the song from us. Pretty wild. Like, why teach us the song at all if you don't agree with the lyrics? They purposely taught/presented the song as something completely different than what it was
As an Okie and folk musician who sprouted from my time at the Woodie Guthrie Folk Fest this man is a legend to all who yearn for equity and a better future
"Equity ain't EQUALITY
@@lamper2 exactly!
McCarthy idiots!😡😡😡 Just because of his personal views - I'm sure he was just as patriotic for his country as the next man😠😠😠....
He was a remarkable man who produced a son named Arlo who is also a fantastic singer.
Remarkable man? His wife supported his kids on her own while he was off being a socialist liberal communist.
Every year on Thanksgiving we listen to Alice’s Restaurant. My dad’s 83 & it’s a tradition I wouldn’t miss.
"This machine kills fascists." That's just so punk rock.
As a punk, we all love Woody.
How about "Old man Trump" ? 😉
@@ettibec Yeah. So eerily prophetic.
@@PaulTheSkeptic ,He also had one of the worst diseases any human could have..Huntington's disease ! There are none worse that that !
@@ettibec Well, I don't know much about that thank goodness. But there are a lot of really bad ones out there. Chronic pain is hell. Cluster headaches is another bad one. Cluster headaches are so painful, people commit suicide rather than suffer a moment more. They'd LOVE a migraine. It's no joke.
I'm not saying they're worse. I don't know. But there are a lot of really bad ones.
A Complete Uknown brought me here. I'm 70 and at age six in the first grade, I remember singing This Land Is Your Land.
Woody was a man of great principles. History swings were not on his side. Then to have Huntingtons on top of it all. But Woody got his point of view out, in the short time he was here. We used to sing This Land Is Your Land in school, too. Your body sure dictates the way you live your life. 🙊🙈🙉🐿🐿🐿🐿🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐞🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼🐦🐞🌼
Thank you for highlighting my comment. To be sick in America , is to be marginalized. I know it is happening to me, and has all my life. Anyone who has lived like this can tell you. You depend on your doctors. But what if your doctors don't want you to be treated with respect and justice? This is so frustrating for the patient. What if you are refused by the resecpionist your appointment? Real discrimination .
My dad had Woody as a patient. Huntington's disease is a tragic genetic curse. There is alot of research going on in the U.K. Let's hope for a cure, the pediatric form is devastating as well. So talented, Arlo too.
@kathysemrau2301 it is unfortunate that a lot of people with Huntingtons get discriminated against as HD is not well known or understood by many people. I know this as I have lived with HD sufferers. Not easy on the caregivers either. It is a tragedy that there is no cure at the moment. Horrible disease.
Without Woody Guthrie, there would have not been a Bob Dylan (not as a Folkie anyway), the Byrds, Country Rock, much of the Folk and Bluegrass explosion of the 70s, and a lot more.
I love listening to Woody MUCH more than I do to Dylan!!...
Woody Guthrie was the most courageous artist during this period having the words this machine kills fascist on his guitar and was bob Dylan's inspiration
Woody had his guitar and songs for the People. And the government still attacked him. Folks, the land of the free, home of the brave stuff is mostly fiction. Those that are or were brave in America have either been persecuted, detained, deported, demonized made scapegoats, victims of genocide, or assassinated. Woody also greatly influenced another upcoming young songwriter from the 1960's who sang, 'The Times They Are a Changing.'
I worked with Pete Seeger for 50 years starting 68'.. Clearwater.. Great Doc!
Wow❣️ Also an Icon of Folk ❣️🎶🎵
What isn’t pointed out strongly enough is that they didn’t have a test for Huntington’s, nor know much about it at all, so sadly, Woody was misdiagnosed as an alcoholic and as schizophrenic among other things and was hospitalized in a state mental institution where conditions were atrocious. This man suffered with Huntington’s disease, but he was labeled and ostracized by most of those around him. God bless Margorie, who not only stood by his side at the end, she advocated for him, and later for Huntington’s disease by creating the Guthrie Foundation for the study of Huntington’s disease and to try to find a cure. This was a major building block to the formation of other foundations, including the Huntington’s Disease Society of America.
@@BetCsu My husband's grandfather also was committed to and died at a mental hospital undiagnosed. Even without the gene test, the doctors should have been able to recognize the difference between a neurological problem as opposed to alcoholism &/ it's effects, schizophrenia etc...
Thank you for adding the Guthrie foundation info BetCSu
@@starrystarrynight9822 This still happens now. My daughters father had a fall while in town, hurt himself bleeding and people thought he was drunk 😭💔
Woody Guthrie would have hated Trump. Yet another reason to love Woody. He wrote about what an asshole Trump’s dad was, too.
I absolutely love woody and he deserves to be as famous as Dylan
he made songwriting more important
Yeah me too, and i completely agree!!! Everyone raves about Dylan, yet I get much more pleasure and honest enjoyment listening to Woody Guthrie than I do from listening to Bob Dylan.....
@@seanenriquez5945 talking about Woody or Bob??🙂....
I wanna learn to play the guitar just like Woody, love his style!🙂....
@@colinluckens9591 both!!! woody serves as a foundation for more lyrics based songs and bob made it more popular and profound!
I can't believe this is all hu outube has on Woody Guthrie. Hasn't there been a good documentary? My god. The man defined an era.
Look at 'Horizon Bbc Woody Guthrie' its a complete Doc.
David Carradine played Woodie in a movie back in the late 70's? Not sure of the year but I did enjoy it ! Always a hero of mine as a boy !
Grapes of wrath, by John Steinbeck, brings the true story to life. It is almost an historical account of the "Dust Bowl Refugees"
It is well worth reading, and it is very moving.
There's a really awesome illustrated novel about him, called: dust bowl ballads... Check it out..
For me he's a LEGEND ♥️♥️.....
A tragedy I have listed to many of his recordings thanks to discovering Bob Dylan. Thank you for sharing.
His life story is inspiring, as a kid that was raised in a gated community I was questioning everything from a young age guitar music provided me a connection to a proud heritage of misanthropes and creatives and socialists who felt exactly the same way i did.
Misanthropy and socialism are incompatible world views. It’s a disregard for humanity that allows capitalism to thrive. Maybe you have a different definition of the word in your head, but Woodie Guthrie was the opposite of a misanthrope. A song like “there’s a better world a comin’ “ is a good example of the faith in humanity that underpinned Guthrie’s songwriting. Seeing socialism as a simple hatred of the rich is nothing but a bourgeois bastardization of genuine proletarian philosophy.
@@jayzbreemo in my experience socialism provided me a solution to my personal feelings of misanthropy through the explanation of how capitalism systemically isolates and alienates people. I could be mistaken or have failed in my ability to explain myself though.
Tragic story and sad life is to hard to handle it...
The disease was horribly debilitating…
yet the most important message should be…Woody enjoyed his short life to the fullest!
That’s what counts!!!
Was lucky enough to have and find a Woody Guthrie acoustic guitar sounds amazing
You lucky bugger - I wanna learn to play the guitar just like Woody - love his style!❤️.....
Movie scenes being shown are from the movie called "Bound for Glory: the story of the legendary Woody Guthrie" with David Carradine.
GOTTA WATCH THAT MOVIE!!😃😃......
Woody was the first punk!
Yeah, truly he was Western and Country AF. A genuine singin' and playin' cowboy.
We greatly thank you and God bless thee in heaven, for the music earthly ministry, and contributions, fellow brother Woodrow Wilson Guthrie.
Never forget to pray for his remaining son Arlo as well, and their families.
Glasgow Celtic fans have sang This Land Is Your Land for years✊🇮🇪🏴🍀
Very touching story. A true legend.
I worked in a Huntington's dx facility. It's a heart breaking dx. Some of my patients were teenagers
Can i ask what facility? It's VERY difficult to find facilities to take care of people with HD!!
(Edit: replaced "either" which was wrong word with "with")
I loved woody , not even the government could break him !
He is definitely one of my inspirations
Pampa, Texas had the scariest tornado I've ever seen...I wouldn't live thee for a million dollars!
This land is your land
Even a non American likes this song
Woody was very much an American who loved the country but resented his upbringing and the government itself. Honestly in his songs he comes across more anti government than pro socialist
@@UA-camAIbot what about both?
@@ADarnSmore possibly
@@UA-camAIbot before everyone associated government control with communism thanks to cia brainworms. You can have economic democracy without government overreach, research liberation socialism
@@UA-camAIbot before everyone associated socialism as “when da gubment does stuff”. Socialism as in economic democracy doesn’t need an overbearing centralized government. look into anarchism and libertarian socialism if u want
There's a 50% chance I have Huntington's.
I like to watch videos of Woody.
It reminds me I may be facing the worst fate possible but that all I can do is live the years I have left to the fullest.
The fact we are both communist just makes hearing him all that more pleasurable to me.
@@THFCCRAIG93 Hoping for the best for you!
@@starrystarrynight9822 Thank you my friend! I am going to be 31 in a couple of weeks so naturally this is an edgy time.
I could have symtpoms start to appear at any moment. I do wonder if I have symptoms as I have dyspraxia and adhd.... They are conditions you are BORN with...
But I still think from time to time that it is suspicous that I have struggled with coorondination all my life, and that I'm at risk of HD.... Kind of think maybe I have it and this is how it has manifsted itself...
Haven't had children either. I so wanted as a kid to be a father and pass on lessons I have learnt. But ever since I found out about my HD risk I feel it would be unfair for me to have kids and potentially pass it on
@@THFCCRAIG93 I’m wishing you well and hope for the very best for you. Take care and God bless ❤
The original American punk rocker!!!
Its pretty crazy how many women were just thrown into mental homes back in the day for "lashing out" or "acting crazy" a lot of famous women and peoples wives.
Francis Farmer.
Not just women. My husband's grandfather had Huntington's disease but at that time they were not able to test for it or diagnose it accurately and he died in a State Mental Hospital.
@@starrystarrynight9822 Yes that was very common to put HD sufferers in institutions as well as menopausal women too.
Had a friend that was raised in communist Russian. She said everybody got the same amount of food and medical care. She said people starved in the streets when communism was abolished. She came to Canada to attend university.
Communism wasn't abolished in Russia. It fell apart. And Russia has always had power juntas and corruption. NEVER did they practice communism. It was a repressive, dictatorial society. And they have never had democracy, only oligarchs and Putin. Psychopathic, greedy power seekers have been Russia's governance since the Russian Revolution. And the tsars were no better. The poor always suffer. Always. And they never receive equality of access to food, shelter, and good wages.
@@FasterFaster196 I only know what she told me. I think i'll read up on it. Can you suggest any books that are informative on the subject? Thank you and stay safe please.
@@tammyashley4997 Thank you for asking. And you stay safe too. This article isn't on topic, but I think the author's points are valid. The author is Cathy Young, and she's what I would describe as an anti-feminist and terf-like. Unfortunately. I think her political and feminist views are crap. A book I would recommend is The Russians, by Hedrick Smith. It's from the 70's, but a first person account.; and Second Hand Time by Svetlana Alexievich. You'll want to read books post- Stalin of course. There was a "thawing" in the 60's, probably just relief that Stalinism was dead, but repression and totalitarianism still reigned. As it does now under Putin, who is second only to Stalin in repression and brutality.
Good for her .Canada is a great country
@@FasterFaster196 Government corruption is everywhere
A great man let to his family and friends. Taken too soon. RIP Woody.
Devastating disease
Wow never knew all this thank you for sharing
thanks for this who's here after a complete unknown
Wow, I did not know much of this, thank you.
Great, informative video, thanks for posting!
RIP Woody 💔 I want to tell you that your son Arlo is awesome.
Huntington’s disease is so awful RIP Woody
Love him Great musician sad story
The choice of whether to get tested is a very personal one that only the person at risk can make. How you choose will have a lot to do with who you are as a person, your personal values, your philosophy on life, and even your views on medical care, health, and even death. No one can or should be allowed to make that choice for you. It's your body. It is your life. Some will want to get tested and make a plan. Some will not get tested and just live their lives as it comes like Arlo. Neither are wrong.
My personal philosophy is that HD is a terrible disease, but so are most diseases. No one leaves this rock alive. No one makes this journey without struggling with some disease or health issues. (even those without HD are at risk for many diseases). I think what's more important is what you will do with the time you have been given here? Will you live life without regrets? You should. People with trinucleotide repeats (HD) have just as much to offer as anyone, maybe more. Whether you get tested or not is your choice. Whether you have kids or not is your choice. What you do with this life is your choice. Make the best choices you can but live life without regret.
And young Bob Dylan stole the helpless Guthrie's record collection.
Is this true?
Bob was a theif
4:28 Woody Guthrie guitar sticker: "this machine kills fascists"
Thanks, and I really liked the bits from the movie about him showing David carradine, the Kung fu guy ( little sparrow?)
Woody was a music legend but his home life chaotic
Huntington’s is a terrible burden for a family
Grasshopper. Little Sparrow???
David Carradine
@@1964Hanne you are correct thankyou ! Just changed it !
@@djquinn11 the 70’s series Kung fu, David played the role of the young chinese guy experiencing today’s life but mentored by a wise old guy “ master “ , a Chinese priest , very cool show then, very popular
It's a horrible, horrible malady.
A fascinating life indeed!
7:29 The acronym "HUAC" or House Un-American Activities Committee is typically pronounced as a two-syllable word, something like "Hugh-ack"
woody's "forgotten daughter" wasn't actually forgotten....she choose to not associate herself with him and died in a car crash at just 19 years old
Could you all do the tragic details about Dire Straits
Woodys mom died of Huntingtons, as did Woody decades later.
I'm a super Bob Dylan fan ("Song to Woody" and "He Was a Friend of Mine" are good songs about Woody) and I also like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Lead Belly, etc... I don't agree with their politics/the Socialism part, but I like their music/songs and we agree in the disliking of Fascists too. It seems easy to understand where his ideology came from though.
Shameful the McCarthy era 😡😡.....
The movie:Bound for Glory with David Carradine was a great biopic of Woody,s life.
I don't think Woody is talked about enough.
Coming here after watching "a complete unknown". Sad
Me too!
Me too!!! x
Lost my grandmother my mother 2 cousins 2 uncles my brother all to Huntington’s Some bad shit
Jerry Bingham
It sure is. Lost my husband to it and we lost ALL six of his siblings, his mother, multiple aunts and uncles and now have 2 nephews battling the disease. Because of HD, we didn't have children which devastated my husband even more than me. It would be so wonderful to see an effective treatment even in my lifetime--a cure would be great but I'd be very happy even with just an effective treatment so we could lessen victims' suffering. Hope you are doing well. I recently finished participating in a medical study that will hopefully provide some help eventually treating Huntington's Disease. Thank God that there is at least research going on and researchers are trying to help!
Damn Huntington's Disease
There weren't any hippies in the 50s. More likely a beatnik. Or just a human being.
He was my great great uncle
Tell more
Then you and I are related. As the Guthries migrated west from North Carolina in the late 18th/early 19th century they resided for a while in Arkansas. One of the female Guthries, Elizabeth, and her spouse became my great great great grandparents. Relationship to the Guthrie family has been confirmed by DNA testing.
@@iasimov5960 i guess so,he was my distance uncle though,after the Guthrie's we became the kings,then the prices and then the hallmarks then it was the Moores and so on
@@iasimov5960 the Guthrie that started my family was from Virginia and moved to Texas in the 1800s
@@jacobbasquez9537 Count me in- Marjorie Mazia / Guthrie/ Greenblatt was my Aunt.
"Tragic" story? Greatest American who ever lived. How's that "tragic?"
@@phildavison9100 He may be referring to Woody being diagnosed with Huntington's Disease...idk.
1st to comment and 2 min late. That's never happened before.
Rest In Peace ☹️
I got a "This Machine Makes Folk Music" sticker for my gun
I am glad Marjorie took care of him at the end.
Now THAT was REAL LOVE!!!
Thanks ❤
I love Woodys music. But I can’t stand seeing the film with David Carradine playing him. I keep thinking of ‘ Grass Hopper ‘ ( King Fu )
Check out A Complete Unknown, the new Bob Dylan film that just came out. Scoot McNairy delivers a powerful performance as Guthrie and he never even says a word.
@ 👍
Land of the free as long as it's deemed the right kind of free thinking
Thank you! The ignorant brutality of Amurkan fascists never ceases to amaze. All to protect their guilt-sick consciences over the hideous crimes that built "their" Amurka.
thank you
Great gear uncle I’m so proud darling
I only know of Woody Guthrie because of Chris Webby song our planet
R.i p.
My Cousin.
I think I met your dad/brother some 15 yrs ago at a family reunion. He was from Canada and a very accomplished musician right?
Wow, all that in just 55 years
Hello Deborah how are you doing hope you’re having a great time with your family may God bless you and your family
I am in shock his dad was in the KKK .
He died at the age of 39 not 55,that is wrong
1912 - 1967
Kinda sketchy how he had a little Sister, who burned to death when she caught herself on Fire "playing with a Lighter" and then, his Daughter burned to death when she caught on Fire "playing with a Lighter". Woody was the ONLY witness for both "accidents". Dunt believe me, read his Book, Bound for Glory.
So we actually know how they caught on fire. First his sister died because a broken kerosene lamp caught her clothes on fire after an argument with her mother. While his daughter died to a malfunctioning radio.
Woody Guthrie supported Henry Wallace for president 1948
Poor woody a true American
Bob Dylan
Were there hippies in 1953?
No
Why do you have to say "Real Life"?
Some people say Hero some people say Deadbeat ?? I can see both sides...
Dude was rather handsome.
Do your homework next time you decide to make a biography. This video almost put no effort into why he was the flawed person that he was and how in spite of that he was deeply respected by his peers and only scratched the surface of other events. If you're interested in getting a proper presentation watch the BBC documentary that was done about him in 1988 (this is free on UA-cam).
There weren’t hippies in 1953. There weren’t even beatniks yet. A I get it right or y’all fired. Cheers from Montreal Quebec Canada 🇨🇦
Yes could sing a bit but a sad indictment on his character, country and the American people. Right wing politics is as bad as left. Apathy worst of all.
?????????
Alice's Restaurant Massacree
Woody one of our Huntington’s disease.
Man you skipped so much like you didn’t even touch have his story. Hell you kinda romanticized it
Nothing about all of the fires?
Yeah this video did not do him justice, feels like just another content farm UA-cam channel putting in the least amount of effort possible.
A book about him bound for glory has been out for years worth reading
Fix your volume. You’re loud your clips are not
Any Guthries in the chat
It’s not noble to give your money away to others in need when you yourself have a family to feed.
I think he was doing it before his family started, its just who he was, then it started effecting his family's situation
WTF!! An act of genuine kindness shoul not be frowned upon.
I believe the fiddle and violin are the same thing
o-KEE-muh. Not Okie-muh.
America's still laughably ridiculous now.